The small town of Woodstock has over the years accommodated many members of Royalty: the son of Edward III, the Black Prince was born here in 1331, Henry I came here to hunt deer, the mistress of Henry II lived in the Woodstock Manor, Princess Elizabeth was held prisoner here by her sister Mary, and King John built the Woodstock marketplace. However, the town is most well known for being the birthplace of former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. Born in 1874, Churchill is buried in a churchyard in the nearby village of Bladon next to his family.
The most popular attraction in Woodstock, the Blenheim Palace was awarded to the Duke of Marlborough in 1705 by Queen Anne. This extravagant palace covers over three acres of land. The gardens, created by Capability Brown, are thought to be one of the finest examples of landscaping in the country. Inside the Palace are tapestries, oil paintings, photographs, books and many antiques. A tour of the will take visitors through the Long Library, where a statue of Queen Anne is kept, the chapel, with it's marble tombs, the State Rooms, and the room in where Winston Churchill was born. The inside of Blenheim Palace is only open to visitors from March to October, but the gardens are open for most of the year.
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